R 20 MAY 20
ALCGPSC 061/20
SUBJ: OFFICER POSTGRADUATE AND ADVANCED EDUCATION APPLICATION
PROCESS FOR ASSIGNMENT YEAR 2021 (AY21)
A. CG PERFORMANCE, TRAINING, AND EDUCATION MANUAL, COMDTINST
M1500.10 (SERIES)
B. ACTIVE DUTY OFFICER POSTGRADUATE AND ADVANCED EDUCATION
APPLICATION PROCESS GUIDE ASSIGNMENT YEAR 2021
C. OFFICER ACCESSIONS, EVALUATIONS, AND PROMOTIONS, COMDTINST
M1000.3 (SERIES)
D. ALCOAST 173/20, COAST GUARD ADVANCED EDUCATION PROGRAM
ALLOCATIONS AY2021
1. This message announces postgraduate and advanced education
(PG/Adv Ed) opportunities offered by the Coast Guard to qualified
officers and select enlisted members. It clarifies the PG/Adv Ed
application procedures outlined in Ref A. Where the application
process guidance in this message conflicts with Ref A, guidance
herein and in Ref B takes precedence. These procedures also
govern enlisted members applying to the Physician Assistant and
Juris Doctorate programs. PG/Adv Ed Student Managers will release
their solicitation messages no later than 27 May 2020.
Solicitation messages for specific programs will be posted on the
PSC (opm-1) portal page (see link in paragraph 20) as they are
released. Separate guidance will be released via message
regarding Senior Education and Fellowship Panels.
2. In order to maintain fairness to all applicants in this highly
competitive process, the published requirements and deadlines are
enforced. Applicants bear the responsibility for ensuring their
application is submitted on time, complete, and in compliance
with applicable instructions and requirements. Applicants are
responsible for working with their command, SPO, Education and
Training Quota Management Command, and PSC Records Branch
(BOPS-MR) to correct any record errors or omissions. Applicants
who fail to meet the established requirements will not be
considered by the selection panels.
3. Eligibility requirements:
a. Must be an ADPL officer. Drilling Reservists and
officers/enlisted members recalled to active duty under Title 10
or ADOS are not eligible to apply.
b. Tour complete in AY21. Officers who are not tour complete,
including those who are in zone for promotion and may transfer
due to promotion, are required to submit a tour completion waiver
if their rotation date is not in AY21. Waiver submission
guidelines are in Ref B.
c. Unless otherwise stated, must have a minimum of two years
commissioned Coast Guard service at the time of enrollment in
the AY21 academic program.
d. Must receive a positive command endorsement.
e. Not currently enrolled in a PG/Adv Ed program or currently
serving in a utilization tour following completion of a PG/Adv Ed
program.
f. Those members who have attended full-time Coast Guard funded
PG/Adv Ed programs will not normally be selected for additional
programs. However, there are exceptions that will be evaluated on
a case by case basis.
g. Must have a conferred baccalaureate degree at the time of their
My Panel Submission. The only exceptions to this requirement are
those members applying to: Advanced Computer, Engineering and
Technology (ACET), Aviation Engineering Officer Training (AEO),
Naval Engineering Technology (NET), and Physician Assistant (IPAP)
programs. Applicants to these programs should consult the
respective program solicitation message for specific academic
requirements.
h. Officers who are not selected for promotion during the PG/Adv
Ed panel season will be disqualified.
i. Officers who submit retirement or resignation requests will be
withdrawn from further consideration and removed from any PG/Adv
Ed programs for which they were selected.
j. Any member recalled from retirement is not eligible to apply
for PG/Adv Ed opportunities.
k. Permanent and Provisional Reserve Program Administrators (RPAs)
are only eligible to apply for the Reserve Resources Management
program.
l. Chief Warrant Officers are only eligible to apply for the
Advanced Computer, Engineering and Technology (ACET), and Naval
Engineering Technology (NET) programs.
4. Ref B is the primary source for information in properly
completing the application process in Direct Access. Do not use
"PSC E-Resumes" link when applying to PG/Adv Ed programs, instead
use "My Panel Submission" link. The Process Guide (Ref B)
contains several checklists and amplifying guidance to complete
the application and command endorsement portion correctly.
Applicants, units, and SPOs should use this guide and its
checklists to ensure eligibility requirements are met.
5. Selection panels are guided by the panel precept and base their
decisions on information in official records and applications.
Panels will see the following for each applicant:
a. EI-PDR (note: all service entries, whether enlisted or officer,
will be viewed).
b. Applicant's My Panel Submission: PG/Adv Ed choices in
preference order and member Comments.
c. Command endorsement comments.
d. Education and test data from Direct Access.
e. Tour completion date and assignment history.
f. Employee Summary Sheet (ESS) - Panel View.
g. Letters of recommendation are required for the Physician
Assistant, Olmsted and Dental residency programs only. Letters of
recommendation will not be considered for applicants to any other
program.
h. Some programs require standardized test scores. Program
solicitation messages will explicitly state whether standardized
test scores are required for selection. Standardized test scores
should be submitted in accordance with Ref B. NOTE: Standardized
test scores are not authorized to be entered into the EI-PDR. All
AY21 applicants must submit a pdf copy of standardized test
scores, if required by the program, to the submission inbox listed
in paragraph 19, regardless if the scores were previously entered
into the member’s EI-PDR.
i. OPM-1 recognizes this year poses unique challenges for members
interested in competing for post-graduate education opportunities.
In order to maximize applicant pools, members will not be
disqualified from selection if standardized test scores are
required but not present in a member’s record. If you have not
had an opportunity to complete a standardized test due to the
virus pandemic, you are still eligible for competition. Applicants
are expected to schedule and complete a test as soon as possible.
If selected, attendance to a school’s program will be contingent
upon you demonstrating minimum test score requirements when you
are able to test. This will be managed with your individual
student manager on a case by case basis.
j. Separate communications to the panel, other than your My-Panel
submission comments, are not permitted.
6. Prospective applicants should act now to ensure their EI-PDR
is complete (e.g., OERs, CG-4082, and academic transcripts).
Officers applying for PG/Adv Ed programs should not delay their
regular annual/semiannual OER submissions.
7. Officers are encouraged to review their Employee Summary Sheet.
The ESS provides a consolidated view of their information as it
appears in Direct Access. This serves as a means for every Coast
Guard member to review his/her personal data and to ensure the
information in Direct Access is updated and accurate.
8. In recent years, the Service has implemented workforce
management tools to improve pilot availability and retention
including Aviation Career Continuation Pay (ACCP) and limiting
Aviator participation in advanced education. These initiatives
have helped increase retention of aviators in operational
assignments. In order to ensure the Service can meet its aviation
mission requirements, in AY21 there will again be restrictions on
aviator eligibility for postgraduate and advanced education
participation. These restrictions will be the same as AY20’s. This
decision will help balance the professional growth opportunities
for aviators and the need for qualified aviators in our cockpits.
Aviators may apply to the following programs:
a. Academy Company Officer Leadership Studies
b. Academy Instructor
c. Acquisition Systems
d. Advanced JPME
e. Aeronautical Engineering – STEM MBA
f. Aeronautical Engineering – Structures
g. Aeronautical Engineering – Avionics/Project Management
h. Aviation Safety Systems
i. Aviation Engineering Officer Training
j. Flight Safety Officer
k. Financial Management
l. International Affairs
m. Olmsted Scholarship Program
n. Operations Research
o. Organizational Leadership
p. Performance Technology
q. Public Administration
r. Public Affairs
s. Air War College (Command & Staff)
t. Army War College (Command & General Staff)
u. Marine Corps War College (Command & Staff)
v. Naval War College (Command & Staff)
w. Systems Engineering
x. Human Systems Integration
The AY21 Postgraduate and Advanced Education general precept will
provide direction to limit non-aviation postgraduate panels to
select no more than 3 total Aviators as either primary or
alternate candidates if found best-qualified for selection.
The limits and restrictions to aviator eligibility for
postgraduate and advanced education participation will be
evaluated on an annual basis and will be adjusted as the needs of
the Service dictate.
Aviators should carefully examine Aviation Incentive Pay (AvIP)
gates and upcoming assignment windows when considering application
for any of the aforementioned programs. Follow-on tours within
each field of educational study will not be deferred. Aviators
completing their first operational tour should expect to remain
in an operational assignment for a second consecutive tour.
Questions regarding aviation career decisions should be referred
to the Aviation Assignment Officers.
9. Specific guidance for Reserve officers: Reserve officers on
Extended Active Duty (EAD), as defined in Ch. 1.B of Ref C, may
apply for PG/Adv Ed opportunities. Selected members must sign a
new EAD contract prior to enrollment. The new contract will
include existing obligated service as well as obligated service
incurred upon completion of the PG/Adv Ed program. These periods
of obligated service do not run concurrently. Enlisted members on
EAD may apply for the IPAP program and, if selected, must sign an
active duty agreement extending through the required obligated
service. Only officers on the ADPL are eligible to apply for
PG/Adv Ed opportunities. Officers and enlisted members recalled
to active duty under Title 10, ADOS, or drilling reservists are
not authorized to apply. Permanent and provisional Reserve Program
Administrators (RPAs) are only eligible to apply for the Reserve
Resources Management program. Specific guidance for RPAs will be
published in that program's solicitation message.
10. Specific guidance for PHS officers: PHS officers may only apply
for the Dental residency and Public Health programs when offered.
PHS officers may apply to other health-related programs (e.g.,
Health Care Administration) on a case-by-case basis using PHS-only
tabs. PHS officers will incur the same obligated service
commitment for PG/Adv Ed attendance as regular officers. Questions
regarding these issues should be referred to the respective
Headquarters program manager.
11. In accordance with Ref A, PG/Adv Ed school graduates incur
obligated service and should expect to go immediately to program
related staff assignments. See Refs A and B for further information
on obligated service and delayed enrollment.
12. Applicants are encouraged to consider their application and
selection to PG/Adv Ed in the context of their overall career
strategy. Timing of PG/Adv Ed attendance can be critical as the
education and follow-on assignment period together may total up to
seven years.
13. Members selected during the AY21 PG/Adv Ed season will be
assigned to Duty Under Instruction (DUINS) in 2021.
14. Primary and alternate selections will be announced via msg
after the PG/Adv Ed panel adjourns and the results are approved.
15. Commandant’s Guidance to PY21 Officer Selection Boards and
Panels will be made available on the PSC (opm-1) PG/Adv Ed Portal
page listed in paragraph 20 below. All members are encouraged to
review this Guidance.
16. The PG/Adv Ed panel schedule and generic precept will be
available prior to selection panel convening dates on the PSC
(opm-1) PG/Adv Ed Portal page listed in paragraph 20 below.
17. Deadlines:
a. Application/My Panel Submission for all PG/Adv Ed programs on
12 June 2020. The following must be received by this deadline:
1) My Panel Submission including a Command written endorsement
marked final.
2) Waiver requests for eligibility requirements.
b. The following must be completed 10 days prior to the convening
date of the panel for which programs you applied:
1) Test scores correctly entered in Direct Access.
2) Test scores sent to CG PSC (opm-1). If unable to send due to
issues mentioned in 5.i., please ensure you schedule and complete
a test as soon as possible.
3) Completed degree information and corresponding GPA correctly
entered in Direct Access. See the Process Guide for detailed
instructions.
18. For field validation purposes, CG PSC (opm-1) will post the
list of applicants for each program on their portal page the week
following the application deadline of 12 June 2020. This roster
signifies that your Direct Access application was successfully
received but does not confirm an accurate and correct submission
or application package. It remains the member’s responsibility to
ensure accurate application packages are received by opm-1. Please
refer to the guidance in Ref B for verification purposes prior to
this deadline.
19. POCs:
a. PG/Adv Ed Questions/Submission inbox:
HQS-SMB-CGPSC-opm-1-PGPanels@uscg.mil.
b. PG/Adv Ed Coordinator: LT Justin Nease
(LT Anna Ruth as of 17 July 20), 202-795-6441.
c. PG/Adv Ed Admin Support: YN3 Nel Bruno Felix, 202-795-6439.
d. OER Questions: Email PSC (opm-3) via ARL-PF-CGPSC-OPM@uscg.mil.
20. Web Sites:
a. CG PSC (opm-1) Portal Postgraduate/Advanced Education (PG/Adv Ed)
http://cglink.uscg.mil/35c4669e
b. CG PSC (BOPS-MR) EI-PDR information
(formerly PSD-MR, records branch):
https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/psc/psc-bops/SitePages/Home.aspx
c. CG PSC (opm-3) OER information:
https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/psc/psc-opm/opm-3/SitePages/Home.aspx
d. CG PSC (opm-4) Career Management:
https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/psc/psc-opm/opm-4/SitePages/Home.aspx
e. CG PPC guide to Direct Access:
https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/ppc/RoboHelp/DAGP/index.aspx
f. Employee Summary Sheet:
http://cgbi.osc.uscg.mil/2.0/contentpanes/personal_files/summary_sheet.cfm/
21. CAPT G. T. Prestidge, Commander, CG Personnel Service Center,
sends.
22. Internet release is authorized.
BT
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